February 15 , 2019 Acknowledgement The Board of Directors, the National Biodiversity Steering Committee, the Office of the Executive Director of the EPA, Hon. Nathaniel T. Blama, and the Management of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, the Biodiversity Coordination Unit of the MEAs Department, extend thanks and appreciation to the United Nations Environment Programme, Global Environmental Facility and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, for the financial and technical assistance during the preparation of this report. Special thanks and appreciation go to the consulting team including, Dr. Samuel N. Koffa, Asst. Prof. Jerome Nyenka, Mr. Richard S Sambolah, Mr. Forkpa Dennis, Mr. Phoree Lawor, Miss Sando Ross, and Mr. Berexford Jallah Geo-spatial reference focal point at the EPA whose role was critical in telling the story of biodiversity in our country through words and figures. The Agency and the Biodiversity Coordinating Unit remain grateful to line ministries and agencies, Non- governmental Organizations (both national & international), academic and research institutions, local communities’ leaders and civil society organizations for their strong cooperation during the preparation of the report. Your assistance helped to improve the quality of the report and we will always remain thankful to you all. J.S. Datuama Cammue Project Coordinator National Focal Point Convention on Biological Diversity 1 Executive Summary This Sixth National Report of Liberia to the CBD is organized into 7 sections, excluding the introduction. Section I presents and discusses the 20 National Targets that are being pursued, as embodied in the Revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2017). It also defines the rationale for each National Target, matches each National Target with its most relevant Aichi Biodiversity Target, and lists pertinent websites, web links and files, as among the key deliverables. Section II outlines and describes the measures taken to implement the National Targets, including the assessment of the effectiveness of such measures and related challenges, and the scientific and technical needs to achieve these National Targets. Strengthening ecological connectivity of the Tai-Grebo-Sapo (TGS) complex, the largest contiguous tropical rainforest ecosystem in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, is among the key implementation measures taken. The German Development Ministry (BMZ) provides 12Million Euro for this program, but the major challenge this conservation initiative faces is the competition between conservation on one hand, and logging and agricultural interests on the other. These competing interests result in partial effectivity of the measures so far taken. However, concerted and determined actions are being brought to bear on this and related challenges in these respects. Section III assesses the progress made towards each of the National Targets, including the selection and brief description of the indicators used in support of the assessment made. Much more remains to be done, however, in terms of monitoring and defining accurate and effective indicators for assessing progress. Section IV details the national contribution to the achievement of each global Aichi Biodiversity Target in the face of debilitating challenges that include the need to feed and create jobs for a growing population whose rate of dependence on forests is quite high while, at the same time, protecting such forests to serve the interest of biodiversity conservation and to tackle the threats that global climate change imposes. A laundry list of other excellent examples of successful national contribution to actualizing each Global Aichi Biodiversity Target is further examined. Section V elaborates on the national contribution to the achievement of the targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). A relatively detailed account is given about how much of the country’s flora of all plants is placed on line. It is easy to see that of the 16 GSPC Targets, on average, a measured progress has been made. Section VI provides additional information on the various ways local peoples and local communities contribute to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Poro and Sande are traditional societies who have, from time immemorial, contributed significantly to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets or have made “Contributions to the Implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020”, even before the advent of 2 these Targets in this region of the world of conservation science. Of recent, a growing number of published experiences on this subject devote few sentences to define what these secret societies do, and who their leaders and members are and why. Lesser attention is often paid to learning more about the role(s) these societies play in protecting and conserving biodiversity .A current participatory land use planning project (PLUP), a pilot endeavor in Foya District, Lofa County, has documented and assessed over 50 sacred forests established across the District’s grassland-dominated landscape of rolling hills and rugged terrain by local people and communities .This conservation outcome is bred out of and effected by the imperatives of cultural and traditional norms and rules. A sacred forest is one of the major land uses in Foya which is a subject of research of the participatory land use project of note. Lessons learned are that these scattered patches of primary forests are not only natural breeding grounds for a variety of faunal and floral species, but also serve as protected areas (e.g. National parks, Nature reserves). Section VII updates Liberia’s biodiversity profile. It is a comprehensive narrative on the status and trends of biodiversity across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (freshwater, marine), as well as covers dryland, mountain, savannah and other ecosystems. This section is quite an important one for Liberia as it touches on the issues where this country’s biodiversity conservation attempts have their greatest strength. It also is essential to add that new species of animals and plants are often found in protected and proposed protected forest ecosystems and mention of this must be made an integral part of the biodiversity updates. The next CBD Report will address the issue of new species that are added to science in Liberia’s determined efforts to conserve biodiversity. 3 ACRONYM BNF Bureau of National Fisheries CAADP Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program CARI Agriculture Research Institute CFMA Community Forest Management Agreement CI Conservation International CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CMA Collaborative Management Association CME Coastal and Marine Ecosystem CMS Convention on Migratory Species DEPN Department for Ecology and Nature Conservation DFID Department for International Development EBA Endemic Bird Area ECOWAS Economic Communication of West African States EPA Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia EMPL Environmental Management and Protection Law ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment EU European Union FAPS Food Agriculture Policy and Strategy FDA Forestry Development Authority FED Food and Enterprise Development FFI Fauna and Flora International FMC Forest Management Contract FPRCI Foundation for National Parks and Reserves 4 GoL Government of Liberia GSPC Global Strategy for Plant Conservation IBA Important Bird Area IFC International Finance Corporation IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature IUU illegal, unreported and unregulated IWRM Mano River Ecosystem Conservation and International Water Resources LASIP The Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Program LCF Liberia Conservation Fund LDCs Least developed countries LEAD Liberia Entrepreneurial and Asset Development LFSP Liberia Forest Sector Project MEAs Multilateral Environmental Agreements MFDP Ministry of Finance and Development Planning MoA Ministry of Agriculture MSC Monitoring, Surveillance and Control NaFAA National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NFAA National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority NAP National Adaptation Plan NDC Nationally Determined Contribution NGO Non-governmental Organization 5 NFPL National Forestry Reform Law PPP Public- Private Partnership PUP Private Use Permit REDD+) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation R-PP Readiness Preparation Proposal SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SFM Sustainable Forest Management SLM Sustainable Land Management SNC Second National Communication TEEB The Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity TGS Tai-Grebo-Sapo TSC Timber Sale Contract UNDP UN Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme UUI unregulated, unreported and illegal VPA Voluntary Partnership Agreement WAAPP West Africa Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program Agriculture Productivity Program WABiCC West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Project WCF Wild Chimpanzee Foundation 6 Table of Contents Item: Page: Acknowledgement i Executive Summary ii Acronyms iii Table of Contents IV Introduction 8 Section I: Information on the Targets being Pursued at the National Level 9-29 Liberia Target 1.1 ……………………………………………………….… ……... 9-10 Liberia Target 1.2 ……………………………………………………………….... 10-11 Liberia Target 1.3 ………………………………………………………………….